The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-07-22
A LITERARY VENTURE.

A LITERARY VENTURE.
How and Why It Proved q Grand
Success.
''Just turn the axis of your optical
apparatus in this direction. John How
land. That is the kind of mail matter
i receive" cried Stuart Claire. rs,
bursting into Howland's law Office in
Windham. he held up two bulky en-
Vclopes. "Both those stories l sent
out n fortnight ago have returned like
bad pennies. They were forwarded
from home this morning. declare it's
too bad. after all the wear and tear of
brain tissue spent upon them!'
''Pshaw! Stuart. that's nothing.
Wait, as 1 do, until you have things
come back six or eight times before
you complain. Lack Of appreciation
is the common fate of all great minds.
-Sartor Rcsartus' and .Innocents
Abroad were rejected at first Then
see the great poems that have met with
a cold reception-the Song of the
Shirt, for instance. Why. only fort
night ago the Meteor rejected one of
my finest illusions on Autumn 1t
started out in this way"
1.-The Mcteor?'
''No; the poem"
.'wide, hillock -dimpled amber lass
Stretch far away before my door;
The grasses rolled
BY autumns breeze.
Recall the tales that seers Of old
Wrote Of deep-waved Hesperian seas
OF molten gold"
''Say. John, if I'll admit that that
doggerel and Song of the Shirt ought
not have been refused. what will you
take in cash not to inflict upon me the
remaining stanzas. I'm not feeling
very strong to-day, and moreover. Pm
Interested just now in the fate Of these
stories" interrupted Stuart.
ooh, of course I'll stop if your sordid
soul can not comprehend the beautiful
imagery. What about those precious
sketches of yours?''
'.Well. I'm puzzled what to do with
them. One editor writes that the story
4 sent him is meritOrious, but cap not
be used on account of lack of space" e
stuart Clare, when were you born?
You make me blush for your ignorance.
Don't you know that that hackneyed
excuse is only another way of telling
YOU that he thinks your stuff the
mcrest bosh."
well, that is what he said. anyway.
The other one says my descriptions are
excellent, but that the conversational
scenes are wretched. I've notion to
throw both packages into the fire. Lit
ersry ambition is all vanity and vexa-
ton"
80 your descriptions are good and
the talk poor? Strange coincidence!
The editor of the Ciceronian wrote me
only last week that my descriptions
spoiled the good impression made by
my love-scenes. Say. Stuart, have
an idea"
Don't lose it. You may never have
another"
..Silence in the court! Let's form q
partnership. You write the descrip-
lions and I'll do up the talking. tn
he just the thing-Besant and Rice.
Erckmann-Ch atrain, Nicolay and Hay
style. don't you know?"
THAT is a good scheme. While we
were about it we might write book. "
Eyes, and we could use our last
summers camping at the lake as part
of the machinery"
make you and Mile Payson chief
actors, Ell? By the way, John, do you
ever write to Millie?'
"No. The fact is, Stuart, dare not
I am afraid I should tell her too much.
and. although she was very kind to me
ut the camp. I know Judge PaysoD's
daughter would never marry q strug-
CLING limb of the law like me"
''Eensense! She will think it strange
that two months have passed aad you
have not written, when You live only
fifty miles away. You were both
sxful 'spoony' at the lake, You know.
II L were in your place I'd frame some
excuse and begin correspondence. 1t
won't do any harm, and it may make
your fortune.
Then the conversation drifted back
to the literary project. and when. the
next day, Stuart Claire returned home.
he and his bosom friend had completed
arrangements for writing book
They had both been eager, but, thus
far, unsuccessful aspirants for literary
glory; but they hoped by joining their
forces to produce taking work
\ tale which might perchance prove
the longed-for ideal American novel
Both were to write upon note-paper.
because, as Stuart had said, there
would be less words upon q page. and
It would require less copying to dove
tail the two portions of the story.
Six weeks went by. John in Wind
ham and Stuart in Beloit a score Of
1ailes apart had both been able 70